ABA Gives Symbolic Support For Law School DEI Standards

By Emily Sawicki

In a split vote, American Bar Association House of Delegates members on Tuesday elected to uphold a rule requiring law schools to demonstrate DEI standards, but then followed up with a vote allowing another path to removing the standards, in an effort to avoid the Trump administration's threat to strip the ABA of accreditation authority.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

States Warn SEC Against 'Unlawful' Climate Rule Withdrawal

By Jessica Corso

A coalition of Democratic attorneys general are warning the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that its plan to discard a corporate climate disclosure regulation is "unlawful," adding their voices to a chorus of state and local pension funds urging the agency to abandon the planned regulatory withdrawal.

4 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AGs Can't Yet Get Discovery Into Live Nation's DOJ Deal

By Craig Clough

A New York federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request by some state attorneys general for discovery into the Justice Department's antitrust settlement reached midtrial with Live Nation, ruling that the scope of the request is "unclear" but the AGs can try again with "narrow and targeted requests."

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

States Sue Trump Admin Over Aid Recipients' Data Disclosure

By Celeste Bott

New York, Illinois and 20 other states sued the Trump administration Monday to block a new policy that would authorize the disclosure of sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and immigration status, of their residents receiving temporary financial assistance.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

$15M Deal In PVC Pipe Price-Fixing Case Gets Initial OK

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday granted early approval to a $15 million deal purchasers struck with plastic pipe system supplier Pipelife Jet Stream, allowing it to soon exit antitrust litigation accusing major polyvinyl chloride pipe producers of fixing prices.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

These Firms Are Landing The Most Patent Litigation Work

By Dani Kass

Rabicoff Law and Ramey LLP have maintained their roles as top patent suit filers, while Fish & Richardson PC and Gillam & Smith LP have remained leaders on defense teams, according to Lex Machina's annual patent litigation report.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

ABA Seeks Bar Exam Reform Following Tech Failures

By Emily Sawicki

Over the course of its two-day annual meeting, the American Bar Association's policymaking body, the House of Delegates, approved measures to urge further bar exam oversight and backed measures to support law schools at accredited historically Black colleges and universities.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Senate Reenacts Small Business, Consumer Debt Limit Hikes

By Vince Sullivan

The U.S. Senate passed the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026 by unanimous consent, taking steps to make permanent the higher debt limits that apply to small business and consumer debtors first implemented during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

New Patent Suits Surge As PTAB Challenges Get Tougher

By Ryan Davis

More patent suits were filed in 2025 than in any year in the past decade, according to a new report, an increase attorneys said is likely tied to new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office policies that have made it harder to challenge patents.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

35 AGs Urge Congress Not To Delay Hemp Ban Rollout

By Sam Reisman

A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is urging Congress not to approve language in a pending continuing resolution that would delay the implementation of a ban on virtually all intoxicating hemp products for one month.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

IHOP Operators Settle DOL Tip, Overtime Suit

By Benjamin Morse

Illinois IHOP franchise operators and their owner reached a settlement in principle Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Labor in a federal lawsuit accusing them of keeping workers' tips, deleting hours and underpaying overtime.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ace Hardware Seeks To Escape Price-Fixing Suit

By Matthew Perlman

Ace Hardware urged an Illinois federal court to toss a proposed class action accusing the retail cooperative of helping its member stores conspire to fix prices, saying the case attacks services the stores need to compete against Home Depot and others.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Udio Can't Shake Off Copyright Suit, But Gets It Moved To NY

By Adam Lidgett

Artificial intelligence music platform Udio has lost its bid to dismiss a proposed class action from a group of songwriters accusing it of copyright infringement, but will now face the claims in New York instead of Chicago.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Why A Class Was Certified In Financial Aid Info-Sharing Case

The recent Illinois federal court decision in Corzo v. Brown University offers key guidance for defendants confronting class certification in antitrust matters, highlighting how typicality can be satisfied despite class members attending different universities, receiving different aid awards and being affected across different time periods, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brown Rudnick Adds 34 Attys, Will Open Silicon Valley Office

By Daniel Moritz-Rabson

Brown Rudnick LLP announced on Wednesday that it had lured a 34-attorney intellectual property litigation group from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP and would be opening a Silicon Valley office with many of those lawyers.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law Grad Employment Remains High As BigLaw Drives Hires

By Aebra Coe

Class of 2025 law school graduates posted near-record high employment rates, with large law firms hiring more graduates than any other industry category as federal government hiring experienced a significant decline, according to new data released Wednesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

These Firms Are Picking Up The Most PTAB Work

By Theresa Schliep

Intellectual property heavyweight Fish & Richardson PC remains the busiest firm in front of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, as it again secured the top spot on a list of firms with the most PTAB trials over the past three years.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Murdaugh Loses Jury Tampering Suit Against Ex-Court Clerk

By Jake Maher

A South Carolina federal judge on Wednesday dismissed disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh's jury tampering suit against a former court clerk who was found to have interfered in his murder trial, ruling there was no connection between his alleged damages and the ex-clerk's misconduct.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

New Mexico Joins States With Alternative Atty License Paths

By Jack Karp

Law school graduates will soon be able to earn their license to practice in New Mexico by working under an attorney's supervision and demonstrating their legal skills rather than by taking the bar exam, the state's Supreme Court chief justice told Law360 Pulse on Wednesday.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

New Mexico Says Blanche, DOJ Blocked Epstein Ranch Probe

By Lauren Berg

The state of New Mexico asked a Washington, D.C., federal court Wednesday to force the U.S. Department of Justice to hand over unredacted Jeffrey Epstein investigative files, saying it needs the materials for its own investigation of alleged crimes at the late sex offender's Santa Fe County ranch.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Texas Firm Lands $150M HHS Services Deal For Migrant Kids

By Britain Eakin

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it has entered into a $150 million contract with a small Texas law firm to provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children, raising concerns from former subcontractors about the firm's experience with immigration matters.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Simpson Thacher Witness Takes Aim At PIPE Stocks Claim

By Madison Arnold

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP wrapped up its defense Wednesday to a Florida state malpractice suit from the founder of Patriot National Inc. over the firm's handling of a private investment in public equity transaction, with a stock market expert testifying that short selling stock allowed under the deal didn't lead to the insurance services company's downfall.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Conn. Atty To Fork Over $3,500 For AI Errors In Taco TM Beef

By Brian Steele

A Connecticut federal judge imposed a $3,500 fine on a defense attorney who submitted two motions riddled with AI-generated mistakes in a taco restaurant's trademark battle, finding that although the lawyer expressed remorse and promised to make changes to his verification process, he still showed "subjective bad faith."

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sierra Leone Isn't Responding To Its Own Attys, Judge Told

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

A second law firm now says it is being iced out by the government of Sierra Leone in a yearslong legal battle that began over the country's dispute with a U.K.-based mining company.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NY Legal Aid Union Averts Strike After 4 Months Of Talks

By Andrea Keckley

Another New York legal aid union has reached a deal with its organization's management, averting the possibility of a strike after its contract and those of four other unions expired at the end of June.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

CREXi Wants 9th Circ. To Undo Quinn Emanuel CoStar Row DQ

By Bryan Koenig

Commercial Real Estate Exchange Inc. doesn't want to replace Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP after a California federal judge disqualified the firm from defending a copyright infringement suit by CoStar, seeking Ninth Circuit intervention and a pause on the district court case.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »